To all reveiwers:
Thanks for your advice, I try to act upon as much as I can!
I wrote this pretty late at night so if it's rather weak don't be too harsh lol!
I've tried to sort out the paragraphing problem, I hope this chapter is better for you guys! Keep reviewing, and thanx!
P.S Spydur1: WOOWHOO! freaky, lol, pretty wird if they are the same ehehehe! I'll keep goin and see eh? Thanx for your review.
For once Anakin was beginning to realize why his master was so adamant about meditation, for he himself had never quite had the patience to sit still for hours and master the art, but at this moment in time, there was nothing he'd rather do than blank out the rest of the world, open himself up to the force, and let his frantic and irrational thoughts organize themselves, to gain himself a hopefully, more quietened state of mind.
He could feel his master's presence strongly, he was trying to reach him, Anakin understood the encouragement he was being offered, but also the warning, he didn't need to be told anymore, he'd heard the same thing continuously since he was ten years old.
'Patience'
Never had the saying 'easier said then done' felt so appropriate. At present, he was sitting uncomfortably, in the middle of a tent-like structure, tied back to a centre pole, arms strained and wrists bleeding, he was also attached by the neck to the pole as if he wasn't already immobile enough, also, he had been somewhat cruelly cut off from the very thing he'd come to rely on for the past 10 years.
The Force.
Anakin groaned aloud, why was it always the most innocent-looking situations that ended up being the most complicated, After years of missions, he'd come to realize that first appearances were never to be trusted, but he always seemed to be getting caught off guard with the forcefulness of a slap in the face. He only took comfort in the fact that this time, it wasn't just him, Obi-Wan was at just at much fault as he. Anakin tried not to laugh at the thought if him telling his master that, it would probably not be taken lightly.
His train of thought was disrupted as the tent overhang door was thrown aside by one of the guards, What little light was remaining in the colour strewn sky, was instantly blocked out by the impending frame of Chief D'agri, as he stood unmoving in the doorway, he looked oddly ghostly, as his entire being was consumed by the evening shadow, his voice emerged in a low, menacing growl.
"I hope your quarters are to you liking."
"I've had worse." The chief snorted, and moved forward so he was standing only a few feet away from Anakin, the man had been tall, but to Anakin, who was involuntarily sitting down, he now appeared monstrous.
"I don't doubt that." He paused to fiddle with a dangling strand from his robe, before lifting his chin to regard Anakin once more.
"I hear the living quarter's at the Klakly Inn on Coruscant are impeccable though, Have you ever been, Jedi?" Anakin hardly saw the Chief's reasoning for this discussion but decided to humour him.
"I can't say that I have."
"Shame, it's meant to be quite marvellous."
"Tell me something D'agri, do your laws with regards to prisoners also require captives to have the ability to 'small talk?" Anakin braced himself for some sort of attack, whether it verbal or physical, but the chief did not move, a snide smile lined his rough-featured face.
"Not at all my very young Jedi, not at all, though I do find, with the younger generation, that they are so much more-," Another pause, which to Anakin looked to be for effect. "'Chatty.'" D'agri finished with a booming laugh as he began to pace around the tent. Anakin was rapidly losing patience with his captor, not a wise feeling to act upon, but he'd never had much success over self-control, something he'd openly admit to.
"Just tell me want you want D'agri, and we'll be out of your way, off your planet, and you'll never have to deal with the likes of us again." D'agri stopped pacing, and spun to face the young Jedi, his face a mask of pure menace, and Anakin began to develop a very uneasy feeling about his current situation.
"Oh no, young Skywalker. You see, having you here, has turned out to be……shall we say, highly beneficial." Anakin's mouth twitched, but he bit his tongue and let the man continue.
"Let me elaborate." He began to pace again, slowly, confidently, speaking as he walked.
"You are in possession of something I want, something I…..need." He stopped to face Anakin and repeated the last word, before continuing. Anakin's uneasiness grew, and he was sure, if he had firmer control, that he'd be feeling a massive warning in the force about now.
"This is my belief anyway. Look at the facts Jedi, the two of you, are found wandering on my planet, alone, and with no apparent reason for your being here, with no ship that we've found. Also, we've intercepted plans of a highly confidential transaction, that was to be taking place tomorrow afternoon, in an unknown quadrant of Caversian space." He stopped again, and eyed Anakin carefully, Anakin felt his stomach twist, they can't know, they couldn't have known, it was impossible! The only ones who knew about the dispatches were himself, Obi-Wan, the Jedi Council, and the President of Caversa, plus a few of the President's trusted advisors. They couldn't have leaked the information, it was too valuable, to volatile, the well-being of their own planet was at stake. Anakin battled the panic rising inside himself, he could not risk jeopardizing the mission any further, he could feel the pressure of the packet against his skin. The dispatches were in a small hidden pocket inside his tunic, they hadn't searched that extensively, but the Chief was onto him, and he had to keep him off his scent.
"A transaction, involving the war between Caversa and Derrus 4 I'm lead to believe. The documents for which, are being carried by-" He bent lower, and his gaze met Anakin's, who held it steadily.
"-By a 'neutral faction.'" D'agri straightened once more.
"The Jedi have been intervening in this war we know, so they'd be the obvious suspect, and I need to know, whom, is carrying these documents, and I'd like to hear it, from you." Anakin was not surprised at the question, but it still made his gut churn, he evened out his breathing, and backed his words with what little power over the force he had left.
"That dispute has been settled, the council have been informed of this neutral intervention, but I assure you, the Jedi played no part in it." The chief let another loud bout of laughter, and shook his head at disbelievingly Anakin.
"Oh my boy how naïve do you take me to be?" Anakin didn't answer, but kept his gaze steadily even with D'agri's.
"You know about them, either you have them, or you know who does, and don't expect me to back down on this either young one."
"Maybe if you tell me what it is you want with those documents it might make me a little more cooperative."
"Your duty is to answer the questions I give you, not the other way around." A moment of tense silence passed between them, Anakin could feel the frustration radiating from the Chief before him.
"Then I have nothing to say." D'agri looked as if he wanted to lunge at Anakin, he looked away, and clasped is hands firmly behind his back as he began to pace again.
"I will not tolerate any insolence from you boy, you will obey me, and things will be a lot less unpleasant for you." Anakin stiffened, he knew what this man was implying, he'd heard the same threat in many other situations, it was rarely acted upon when it came to dealing with Jedi. He inhaled deeply, and hoped he knew what he was doing.
"My loyalties lie with the Republic senate, The Jedi, and My master, I am under no obligation to abide by your rules."
"You forget your place young one, you are still my prisoner, and your ultimatum is simple, you will wither tell me what I want to know, or you will be made to. It's your choice."
"You can make me 'till no end, you'll get nothing from me." He gave his captor a sly smile, if anything just to aggravate him further. The chief nodded grimly.
"If that is your choice Jedi, I shall speak with your master, let's see if he'll be a little more welcoming to my way of thinking." He chuckled snidely, and turned to his guards, though Anakin knew the words were directed at him.
"Though I do find, youth, to be so much more talkative, don't you, not so set in their ways, even if they are-." He turned to face Anakin as he spat out the last word like a curse. "-Jedi." He spun round once more, and marched out of the tent, the guard waiting gave Anakin a dirty look, before laughing, and letting the overhang swing over, leaving Anakin, alone to his thoughts, this was going to get messy, he knew, he pulled half heartedly at the bindings, they didn't budge, and he was left with more painful burns on his arms. He slumped backwards, letting his head lean against the rough wooden pole, he calmed his mind and tried to prepare himself for what was to come, whatever it was, he knew that he could handle it, it would be hard, but he would be able, it was more a case that he just really, really didn't want to.
